Rating: 
Summary: So-so. It could be better
Review: Hiaasen is a clever writer and has an innate ability to build colorful characters and weave them into entertaining storylines. That said, I think he did a little too much weaving on this one. All of the characters are interesting - from the militant environmentalists to the sleazy governor and the developer with a Barbie fetish - but there just isn't enough for these great characters to do in the story. They seem like they were force-fed into the book and that left a bad taste in my mouth. He certainly gets off a great many jabs at the pit of filth that is Florida politics, and that in and of itself warrants picking up a copy, but a tighter story would have made it a must read. Perhaps trimming four or five characters and 50 pages would have done the trick. Close. So very close...
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time.
Review: Hiaasen does nothing for over 300 pages but set up straw men so he can laugh as he knocks them down. Meanwhile, he's pining for some mythical Florida of lovely nature and happy peasants which, believe me, has never existed. Oh, you turn the pages, just to see what ugliness his terrorist hero will get into next. But if you have a brain that actually works, you'll resent having blown any time or money on this piece of litter. Hiaasen will probably be glad to know I'm going to have my copy pulped and recycled, I hope into a book that's worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Not his best
Review: Hiaason does it again in this book - and while it is not the best of his work (Stormy Weather is my favorite,) I try to live by: any hiaason is better than none. :) It has some hilarious situations which is always what makes him the master. However, I don't think he should've written from the dogs point of view (which he does here in a couple of chapters.)
Rating:
Summary: He sure is!
Review: Hiaasen is one of a select group of novelists - along with Edward Abbey ("The Monkey Wrench Gang" and "Hayduke Lives") and Rand Johnson ("Arcadia Falls") - who can get their environmental licks in while avoiding pedantry and still telling a good story. This may not be quite the equal of "Tourist Season", but it's still a fun read - particularly for those who will take a snail darter over a developer any day.
Rating: 
Summary: Back to Classic Hiaasen ... Rejoice!
Review: If you haven't read Carl Hiaasen's first two books, "Tourist Season" and "Double Whammy", then don't even think of going further till you have. You'll enjoy those reads immensely. They are perhaps the best in his series (although "Strip Tease" was equal to them, them book, not the sad movie). After you've read those you're ready for "Sick Puppy". Hiaasen is always a pleasure to read, however some of his books got bogged down. He had lost the snap and bite which makes him a top notch columnist, and outstanding observer of all that is strange and wonderful(?) in south Florida. He may have hit rock bottom with "Lucky You" - which almost appeared to be his "sell out" novel.
Not so, he's back with a vengence with "Sick Puppy". The cast of characters Hiaasen readers have come to love are back, not the least of which Skink at his best. You'll enjoy this book from beginning to end, just don't have any plans to put it down. You'll find that far too difficult.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, full of adventure, but boring towards the end.
Review: Twilly Spree is an eco-terrorist of sorts. Nothing sets him off more than a litterbug, or someone trying to destroy flora to make room for condominiums. Twilly gets so angry when he sees these things, he will stop at nothing to teach the perpetrator a lesson. This includes dismembering an already dead animal to make a point, kidnapping a live one, firebombing a bank, and even kidnapping the wife of a litterbug. The story was fairly well written, although as I read farther along, it became less and less real to me, and more of a cartoonish like tale. The premise to the story is in itself a bit bizarre, but Carl Hiaasen takes the time to make it work, if only for a little while. The character of Palmer Stoat is very well developed, he is our resident litterbug, infamous for shooting "wild" animals for sport and tossing Big Mac papers out his car window. There is plenty of gruesome parts and not a little death, so the book keeps you interested until it becomes too prolific.
Rating:
Summary: Great Characters and a Hysterical Story
Review: This is a truly hilarious book, and Carl Hiassen has done a great job of creating interesting characters. This includes Twilly Spree, a small-time slacker who came into some money and now fancies himself an eco-terrorist; the slimy lobbyist Palmer Stoat who enjoys "hunting" sick and injured members of endangered species; the trendy hitman Mr. Gash who can only get aroused by hanging from a snakeskin harness and listening to 911 tapes; and Boodle, the dimwitted but loveable and heroic title dog. The only problem with the plot is when the current governor recruits former governor "Skink" Tyree to track down Twilly. Now this doesn't make any sense, as Skink is a hermit who lives in a swamp, and is the least likely "private eye" possible. The current governor would have many other options to find and rough up a troublemaker like Twilly. Skink is a refugee from earlier Hiassen books and was clearly added here so Hiassen could make use of this interesting character in some way. But his presence makes little sense to the story. Otherwise, these colorful characters keep the plotline interesting and the conclusion is truly hysterical.
Rating:
Summary: Ocala Native
Review: Best Hiaasen novel yet, with the possible exception of 'Tourist Season'. Twilly is one of the most admirable characters I have read about in a long while. This guy does things many of us wish we could get away with on the highways of Florida, and to punish a scum lobbyist in the most fitting manner is a powerful fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: A Boy, His Dog, and Eco-Terrorism: What's not to Love?
Review: I've heard too many people say that Hiaasen is turning out the same story over and over again. I found SICK PUPPY refreshing and hysterically funny. Big game safari comined with corrupt lobbyists, doll-worshiping weirdos and hit men who love 911 cassettes not enough for you? Then throw in a nature lover with anger management problems and a cuddly pooch with a delicate stomache and jealousy issues and you have vintage Hiaasen. The storyline is fresh and every character outdoes the next. A side note: if you like Hiaasen (or any Florida literature) you should check out Tim Dorsey's FLORIDA ROADKILL. That is, after you've read all of Hiaasen's novels. Even if you don't live in Florida, Hiaasen's books will give you second thoughts about throwing that BigMac wrapper out of your car window...
Rating:
Summary: Good Dog, Bad Humans
Review: A twisted political enviro-venture whose curious plot and bizarre characters interact to bring the reader both laughter and satisfaction as each person in the book achieves their own richly deserved fate. Grade: A+
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